Clothing

If all goes as planned, sometime this morning a spacecraft will blast off from its launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and ride a fiery plume of contrails upward through the pre-dawn darkness to begin a two-week journey to the International Space Station and back. But the flight won't be just another NASA resupply mission. Instead, the Falcon 9 rocket and its unmanned Dragon cargo capsule built by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation - SpaceX for short - will be the first commercially owned and operated vehicle ever to rendezvous with the station's orbiting astronauts.

- As the draw for Preakness post positions came to an end Wednesday evening, Donna Peiffer's work was just beginning. Into the night she worked, turning a dozen colorful cloths into identification badges that will help millions of racing fans follow a favorite horse from starting gate to finish line. I'll Have Another, Bodemeister, Daddy Nose Best - each cloth was embroidered with the name and number around the Preakness logo. Folded neatly and placed in a plastic bin, they awaited a final inspection, a pressing and the trip to Pimlico Race Course . On Saturday, the cloths will be placed on the backs of the horses before saddles are cinched and the jockeys mount.

Eastpoint Mall in Baltimore said Tuesday it has signed leases with DSW Shoe Warehouse and Burlington Coat Factory. The mall, which is owned by Thor Equities, said it also signed a 15-year lease extension with Value City Furniture. DSW, which is scheduled to open in April, signed a 10-year lease for 18,000 square feet of space formerly occupied in part by Steve & Barry, a clothing store. Burlington Coat Factory signed a 10-year lease to open a 70,000-square-foot store in March. The mall serves about 6 million shoppers a year, according to Thor Equities.

There will be a free food and clothing distribution event Saturday, May 19 at First United Methodist Church of Laurel, 424 Main St. The clothing distribution, sponsored by Grace Community Church, will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The food distribution is sponsored by Priority Partners and the Capital Area Food Bank, and will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Pick up free food and learn about getting no- and low-cost health care benefits for...

When the Center Club held a focus group asking its members what events they wanted to hold, some suggested a fashion show. But any old fashion show wouldn't do. It had to mean something. "We talked about our members being very philanthropic and wanting to give back," said Nancy Sloane, director of membership and marketing for the Center Club. "So that was a component we wanted to make a part of the fashion show. " At 7 p.m. Friday, the Center Club will host its first-ever runway show, Couture at the Club: An Evening of Ravishing Fashion.

AP Self Storage is holding a Spread Goodwill Clothing Drive during June. The Harford County-based company will be accepting clothing and shoes through June 30. AP is working in conjunction with Goodwill Industries, which will receive the donation of the collected items. Donations should be dropped off at 1339 Belcamp Road in Belcamp during regular business hours. AP Property Manager Adam Parsons says, "We are really excited about the Goodwill Drive. Goodwill Industries reaches out to youth, seniors, veterans and military families, immigrants, people with disabilities and others with specialized needs in our communities.

An Ellicott City woman was arrested Saturday afternoon for trying to steal $195 worth of clothes from the Hecht Co. store in the Annapolis Mall, county police said yesterday.A store security officer told police that he saw a woman carry 20 items of clothing into a dressing room shortly after 1:30 p.m. When the woman left the room, she had only 13 items of clothing and a bag that appeared to be filled with garments, the security officer told police.The woman put the 13 items back on the rack and left the store.

Chicago -- It's the first rule for job hunters: Dress for success.But until a group of Chicago businesswomen opened Bottomless Closet last week, that simple formula had eluded thousands of poor women who were unable to afford to buy appropriate clothing for job interviews.The Closet was established to increase the employment potential and marketability of women welfare recipients who want to work, by providing clothing, accessories and fashion guidance for job interviews at no charge."When you go out to get a job and you know that you look right for the position, you feel better about yourself, and you can more effectively tell people why you're qualified for the job," said Lynda Wright, a member of the Closet's board of directors.

Annapolis Clothing Co. Inc., trying to stay vital during the recession by downsizing, plans to close three of its seven locations.The locally based women's apparel chain also has filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization under the Federal Bankruptcy Act.Lawrence D. Coppel, the attorney representing Annapolis Clothing, said the chain will close its locations at Towson Market Place shopping center, St. Thomas Shopping Center in Owings Mills and Festival Plaza...

John C. Trikeriotis, a founder and president of Rothschild's Clothing, died of cancer Saturdayat his Monkton home. He was 67.Mr. Trikeriotis and Brian Loeffel founded the upscale Pikesville clothing store in 1984.A master tailor and custom designer who learned his trade in Greece and Italy, Mr. Trikeriotis came to Baltimore to work at Phil Kolodner's, a Baltimore clothing store, in 1968. He remained there until Rothschild's opened."Everyone loved him and he could fit a suit in the blink of an eye. He had both the eye and the knack," said Mr. Loeffel.

The mother of a juvenile suspect who admitted this week to accidentally shooting 13-year-old Monae Turnage is being investigated in connection with circumstances surrounding the killing, the woman's attorney has confirmed. The attorney, Isaac Klein, said a prosecutor told him his client's DNA was found on Monae's bra. Two of Monae's relatives gave a similar account, saying homicide detectives informed them that DNA from the mother of the 13-year-old suspect was found on the girl's body.

People packed the pews and filled the balconies of Baltimore's historic Bethel A.M.E. church Sunday morning to honor a man they credit with reviving the house of worship — one of the city's most influential — and bringing unabashed passion back to the black church. The daylong ceremony recognized the Rev. John Richard Bryant's 50 years of service, which began in the steepled church at the corner of Druid Hill Avenue and Lanvale Street and took him to Africa and Massachusetts, then back to his hometown and, most recently, to the Midwest, where today he presides over the 4th Episcopal District as a senior bishop.

The overarching theme for this week's episode is the fact that the honeymoon is indeed over. Not only are the relationships between the ladies facing challenges, the ladies are also revealing their less-than-perfect qualities to us, the viewers. I know you thought that had already happened, but trust me -- we ain't seen nothin' yet! We begin this episode smack dab in the middle of Tamra and Eddie fighting through clenched teeth and smiling lips. I am still in awe as to how they managed that.

Moths have ruined all the wool clothes in my closet. They aren't the kind that fly around lights at night. They're tiny, and sometimes I only see larvae. I used a trap, which killed some. I also tried cedar balls, blocks and hangers. I bought a bomb, too, but it's so toxic I'm afraid to use it. I saw a commercial for something that plugs into an outlet and sends out a frequency to drive them away. What should I do next? Using mothballs and cedar are preventive measures against clothes moths.

Forget cheap televisions, laptops and clothes. On Saturday, shoppers at the annual Bazaart holiday market at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore snatched up handmade bird houses, hand-printed s hirts and handblown glass jewelry. The event, in its seventh year, was billed as an alternative to Black Friday, which marks the start of the holiday shopping season and often creates a frenzy of discount-seeking consumers. This year, many big-box retailers and department stores opened earlier than ever – just hours after families finished their Thanksgiving meals.

Listings are accepted on a space-available basis. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday prior to date of publication at the latest. To submit volunteer items, mail to Volunteers, Patuxent Publishing Co., Third Floor Editorial, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278; email hccalendar@patuxent.com ; fax 410-332-6336; or call 410-332-6497. Small Miracles Cat Rescue - Seeking volunteers to help with cleaning and feeding at the shelter, as well as a morning or evening at either the Columbia or Ellicott City Petco, and the adoption process.

Bernard B. Becker, owner of Becker's, one of Baltimore's last full-line men's clothing stores, died of a stroke yesterday at Sinai Hospital. He was 86."He certainly ran a top-notch business, above and beyond any other, the likes of which are not in existence today," said Albert Vincent Murray, an employee of 54 years and friend of Mr. Becker. "He was a very fine gentleman."Mr. Murray was among the many employees who were loyal to Mr. Becker through the years."He had the kind of employees who didn't leave him," Mr. Murray said.

Annapolis Clothing Co., a once-flourishing women's apparel chain that had as many as seven stores in the Baltimore area in the 1980s, has abandoned its efforts to reorganize and will go out of business.The Glen Burnie-based company will hold a liquidation sale starting tomorrow at its last two stores, at Dobbin Center in Columbia and Perry Hall Crossing Center in Perry Hall. Its stores in Annapolis and at Westview Mall were closed recently, costing about 20 people their jobs. The Westview store had moved there from Security Boulevard.

When the Center Club held a focus group asking its members what events they wanted to hold, some suggested a fashion show. But any old fashion show wouldn't do. It had to mean something. "We talked about our members being very philanthropic and wanting to give back," said Nancy Sloane, director of membership and marketing for the Center Club. "So that was a component we wanted to make a part of the fashion show. " At 7 p.m. Friday, the Center Club will host its first-ever runway show, Couture at the Club: An Evening of Ravishing Fashion.

One day recently, Hilltop Elementary School Principal Louise DeJesu noticed that a student's shoes were coming apart. She summoned her secretary to measure the child's feet, then provided the money for a new pair. Before sending a suspended student home, she will check to see whether he or she has eaten. In fact, students who come to her hungry — no matter what time of day — leave fed. Ultimately, she'll find out whether the students' parents are hungry, too, and send a few grocery store gift cards their way. The 63-year-old Arnold resident has been a balm for what ails a Glen Burnie community that she says is known for its "working poor.